By Adrian Croft and Estelle Shirbon
COVENTRY, England, Feb 20 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised on Saturday to heal the battered economy in a plea to voters to renew their faith in his Labour Party, which is forecast to lose a looming election.
Launching a campaign push billed as 'Operation Fightback' by his party headquarters, Brown sought to appeal to core Labour voters by portraying the opposition Conservatives as elitist.
'If you, like me, are from Britain's mainstream majority, from an ordinary family that wants to get on and not simply get by, then my message to you today is simple: take a second look at us, and take a long hard look at them,' Brown said.
The Conservatives hit back saying voters would reject Labour because of its performance during its 13 years in office.
'He (Brown) asks Britain to take a second look at Labour when the public have been looking at them for 13 years and know they have failed,' said George Osborne, who is expected to become finance minister if the Conservatives win.
Labour have won three elections since 1997 under the leadership of Brown's predecessor Tony Blair. Brown took over as prime minister when Blair stepped down in mid-term in 2007.
But Labour's star has faded since the financial crisis dragged Britain into recession. The Conservatives, led by the youthful David Cameron, are far ahead in all opinion polls, although the gap has narrowed in recent weeks.
The election date is widely expected to be May 6.
In a televised speech on Saturday, his 59th birthday, Brown said his key campaign pledges were to secure economic recovery, support new industries and future jobs, protect frontline public services and stand up for the many, not the few.
'I'M NOT PERFECT'
Focusing on the economy is a risky strategy for Brown, who was finance minister for 10 years before he took over as prime minister, and thus is seen by many voters as partly to blame for a downturn that has cost hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Brown argues that his decisions at the height of the 2008 financial crisis averted a much bigger disaster.
In his speech, he said Labour stood for equality while the Conservatives represented the elite -- an attack on Cameron, who comes attended Britain's most exclusive private school.
Cameron has promoted the idea of 'compassionate Conservatism'.
Brown sought to exploit recent Conservative gaffes, such as a mistaken claim in a party campaign document that 54 percent of teenage girls in Britain's poorest areas became pregnant before they turned 18. The correct figure is 5.4 percent.
'Can they claim they know the aspirations of mainstream Britain when they so clearly understand so little of how we live?' Brown said.
Often criticised in his own camp for his stiff manner and his difficulty in connecting with voters, Brown has nevertheless survived repeated attempts to oust him as Labour leader.
In an unusually relaxed performance on Saturday, he said he had changed.
'I know -- really, I know -- that I'm not perfect,' he said, smiling, to chuckles from an audience of party loyalists.
Brown's character has become an issue in the public debate ahead of the poll. Just after his televised speech, he gave an interview to Channel 4 television during which he was asked to respond to rumours that he was prone to outbursts of rage.
'If I get angry, I get angry with myself ... I have never, never hit anybody in my life,' he said.
- For more stories on the build-up to Britain's election, click on
(Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Jon Hemming) Keywords: BRITAIN ELECTION/BROWN (estelle.shirbon@thomsonreuters.com, +44 207 542 7947, Reuters Messaging: estelle.shirbon.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
COVENTRY, England, Feb 20 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised on Saturday to heal the battered economy in a plea to voters to renew their faith in his Labour Party, which is forecast to lose a looming election.
Launching a campaign push billed as 'Operation Fightback' by his party headquarters, Brown sought to appeal to core Labour voters by portraying the opposition Conservatives as elitist.
'If you, like me, are from Britain's mainstream majority, from an ordinary family that wants to get on and not simply get by, then my message to you today is simple: take a second look at us, and take a long hard look at them,' Brown said.
The Conservatives hit back saying voters would reject Labour because of its performance during its 13 years in office.
'He (Brown) asks Britain to take a second look at Labour when the public have been looking at them for 13 years and know they have failed,' said George Osborne, who is expected to become finance minister if the Conservatives win.
Labour have won three elections since 1997 under the leadership of Brown's predecessor Tony Blair. Brown took over as prime minister when Blair stepped down in mid-term in 2007.
But Labour's star has faded since the financial crisis dragged Britain into recession. The Conservatives, led by the youthful David Cameron, are far ahead in all opinion polls, although the gap has narrowed in recent weeks.
The election date is widely expected to be May 6.
In a televised speech on Saturday, his 59th birthday, Brown said his key campaign pledges were to secure economic recovery, support new industries and future jobs, protect frontline public services and stand up for the many, not the few.
'I'M NOT PERFECT'
Focusing on the economy is a risky strategy for Brown, who was finance minister for 10 years before he took over as prime minister, and thus is seen by many voters as partly to blame for a downturn that has cost hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Brown argues that his decisions at the height of the 2008 financial crisis averted a much bigger disaster.
In his speech, he said Labour stood for equality while the Conservatives represented the elite -- an attack on Cameron, who comes attended Britain's most exclusive private school.
Cameron has promoted the idea of 'compassionate Conservatism'.
Brown sought to exploit recent Conservative gaffes, such as a mistaken claim in a party campaign document that 54 percent of teenage girls in Britain's poorest areas became pregnant before they turned 18. The correct figure is 5.4 percent.
'Can they claim they know the aspirations of mainstream Britain when they so clearly understand so little of how we live?' Brown said.
Often criticised in his own camp for his stiff manner and his difficulty in connecting with voters, Brown has nevertheless survived repeated attempts to oust him as Labour leader.
In an unusually relaxed performance on Saturday, he said he had changed.
'I know -- really, I know -- that I'm not perfect,' he said, smiling, to chuckles from an audience of party loyalists.
Brown's character has become an issue in the public debate ahead of the poll. Just after his televised speech, he gave an interview to Channel 4 television during which he was asked to respond to rumours that he was prone to outbursts of rage.
'If I get angry, I get angry with myself ... I have never, never hit anybody in my life,' he said.
- For more stories on the build-up to Britain's election, click on
(Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Jon Hemming) Keywords: BRITAIN ELECTION/BROWN (estelle.shirbon@thomsonreuters.com, +44 207 542 7947, Reuters Messaging: estelle.shirbon.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.